The OSCE has made a decision on Kazakhstan chairing the body in 2009. And that decision is to postpone a decision until next year.
Foreign ministers from the 56 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), who were expected to respond to the Kazakh bid during a meeting in Brussels today, put a decision off until 2007.
US officials heaped praise on Kazakhstan, saying that it is “heading toward a positive result in 2007.” At the same time though, they gave no indication of a change in position regarding Kazakhstan’s bid and mentioned that it is not the only one seeking the position in 2009.
UPDATE: As RFE/RL often does, they have updated the linked story, now mentioning that Kazakhstan considers the delay of a final decision to be a victory.
Kazakh First Deputy Foreign Minister Rakhat Aliev described the outcome of the Brussels meeting as “a victory of Kazakhstan’s diplomacy.”
Aliev, who is a son-in-law of President Nazarbaev and Kazakhstan’s top official in charge of relations with the OSCE, said Astana retains “a good chance of chairing the organization in 2009.”
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Rusty OSCE machine will be lubricated by Kazakh oil. Hopefully.
A victory because they didn’t just follow the US lead and say “No” or a victory because everything has to be reported as a victory?
I think it’s a victory because there’s still a chance of the answer being yes.
Perhaps some in the Kazakh government believe that Kazakhstan is also not yet ready to chair OSCE.
In that context, a delay in the decision is a victory.